Pistachio
by spiffykay
Summary: Oneshot of Season One SS  Remember when Summer asked Seth out on a date after he apologized to both she and Anna for the whole Thanksgiving fiasco? Well... how did that date really go?


**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to "The OC." But sometimes I wonder how much I'd give up if I were given the chance to own them…**

**A/N: I got off-track, I know. But I really wanted to do a SS one-shot from the first season. I felt it might be a challenge for me (since I have never written high school Seth and Summer) and something to bring me back to old memories of my own high school times. Like a memory trigger or something. And I know this has probably been done a billion times over, but I just couldn't resist. Hope you like. :)**

**This takes place after "The Secret" when both Anna and Summer had asked Seth for a date. Only this merely follows Seth's date with Summer. (Because, really, like I'd write about Seth dating Anna.)**

**Read, enjoy!, and review oh pretty please.**

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Seth wasn't sure about his date with Summer that night, he discovered as he stood in front of his bathroom's mirror straightening out his attempt at wearing a dress shirt. It wasn't that he wasn't excited – oh, dear _Lord_ no – he was ecstatic to be going out on a date with _the _Summer Roberts, but it was just that he had a great time on his previous date with Anna the night before and he didn't want to lead Summer on. ('Holy Moses,' Seth thought to himself absentmindedly, 'I can lead Summer Roberts on! _Summer Roberts_!')

He truly did like Summer; he had since he was ten. But with Anna everything felt so familiar and easy. They had everything in common and ran with the same crowds. And he didn't feel like he was gonna throw up on her in nervousness every time she spoke to him or came within a foot's distance of him, like he felt with Summer.

That had to be a plus, right?

But regardless, he was going on a date with Summer Roberts in precisely twenty-seven minutes ('Summer Roberts, Summer Roberts, SummerRobertsSummerRobertsSummerRoberts.' Seth repeated in his head. Whether to remind himself of how awesome his life was right now or to attempt to make the 'celebritiness' of her name that he had created in his mind for her to rub off, he wasn't sure.)

"Seth?" A knock came to his bedroom door, followed by a few footsteps – obviously waiting for a reply to said-knock took too long – and Sandy appeared at the bathroom door, glancing at his son. "Chose Anna I see," his father smirked. "I like her. She's a feisty one."

"Huh?" Seth raised his eyebrows at his father in question through the mirror before turning to face him. "What are you talking about?"

"You're going on another date, aren't you?"

"Yes…"

"Well, you must have made your choice then because you went out with Anna last night and for you to be going out on another date with different girl tonight would be hurtful to both girls' feelings and my son knows – especially after Thanksgiving's whole debacle – that that is not the right way to treat women…" Sandy spoke, eyeing Seth suspiciously.

"I'm not going out with Anna tonight, dad," Seth shifted his way around his father and into his bedroom, not wanting to hear the lecture he was about to give him in the bathroom – actually, Seth didn't want to hear it anywhere but especially not in the bathroom. That was weird. And pretty gross seeing as that's where he popped a squat every day since he was five. It was just a disgusting room. Probably his least favorite, he thought.

"What's with the face?" Sandy probed, following Seth. Obviously Seth's thoughts on the bathroom had gathered a disgusted look upon his face.

"Nothing. I have to finish getting ready so…" Seth trailed, hoping his father would get the hint.

"Who's this date with, if not with Anna?" Sandy asked, ignoring Seth's roll of the eyes. "It's with Summer, isn't it?"

"Yes. Is that a problem?" Seth moved throughout his room, trying to find his wallet and sneakers.

"Seth…" Sandy tried warningly, "You can't lead these two girls on. It's not right. And you're gonna hurt them. Your mother and I didn't raise you that way."

"Well, what was I supposed to do?" Seth stood up, holding one sneaker in his hand while the other was already planted on his left foot. "I apologized to both of them and then suddenly Summer's asking me out on Saturday and Anna's asking me out on Friday. I'm not exactly experienced with saying no to the opposite sex. I've never been given the opportunity to before."

Sandy shook his head. "Do they know?"

"Know what?" Seth asked, leaning down to put on the other sneaker.

"Do they know about your dates with the other?"

"Anna does, but I don't think Summer does."

"Are you gonna tell her?"

"Do you _want_ me to come home with a black eye?"

Sandy closed his eyes and sighed before opening them again and repeating his question more sternly. "Are you gonna tell her, Seth?"

"If it comes up in conversation, sure," Seth moved about the room, ignoring his father's disappointed looks.

"Seth…"

"All right, all right. I'll tell her," Seth stopped fidgeting and looked over to Sandy. "It will be the first thing I say to her. 'Hey Summer, I had a date with Anna last night, just wanted to let you know. Oh and you look beautiful tonight, by the way.'"

"There was no need to be sarcastic."

Seth grunted in response, grabbing his wallet off of the bed. "I have to go."

Sandy nodded, following his son down the stairs. "Hey, Seth?" Seth turned around, glancing up at his father who was paused on the stairs, "You're gonna have to choose you know. They're not gonna keep waiting around for you."

"I know," Seth nodded, solemnly, knowing his father was right. And oh, how he _hated _to admit that his father was right. "But right now I really gotta go or else Summer's gonna kick my ass."

Sandy smiled as Seth left, getting into the Range Rover.

Seth knew he was gonna have to choose soon but soon was not tonight. Not when he had a date with Summer Roberts. Summer _freaking_ Roberts!

Oh God, Seth thought, he was gonna puke.

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Seth drove up to the Roberts' mansion five minutes early (he memorized the quickest route to her house last summer when he first got his driver's permit) hoping to give himself a prep talk in the driveway before going to get her, but was shocked when he saw her standing on her front steps in a black mini skirt, black heels, and a teal green tank top with her hair landing upon her shoulders in soft curls while her hand covered her face. Seth didn't have time to react rationally – like with his mouth gaping open at the sight of the hottest date on the planet – immediately thinking something was wrong. He jumped out of his car, racing up the steps to her aid.

"Summer, is there something wrong?" He breathed heavily after just running up her steps faster than he thought was humanly possible.

Summer smiled, shaking her head and stating, "You're here early, Cohen."

"Early bird gets the worm," he smiled, glad that she was okay and that their date still had a green light go-ahead.

"Am I the worm in this scenario?" Summer placed her hands on her hips as Seth rolled his eyes, reaching for her hand. She pulled it away, looking incredulously down at him as tried to guide her down the steps. "What're you doing?"

"Trying to be a gentleman by helping you down the stairs. If memory serves correctly, you like the gentleman thing," Seth cheekily replied, indicating the events of that first night on their way to Tijuana.

Summer tried to hide her smile. "I'm a girl, Cohen, not an eighty-year old grandma."

"And I am thankful for that," Seth grinned, keeping a hold of her hand anyway. Summer, shocking herself and presumably Seth, didn't pull away.

Once Seth had opened the car door for her and he had situated himself in the driver's seat, Seth turned on the engine, letting his music play through the speakers as they drove off.

"Ew," Summer cringed. "Not more whiny music."

Seth took a quick glance to his right – _Jesus_, she was really beautiful – clearing his throat, before turning back to the road. "I needed the music to calm me down. Still do in fact. So if you don't want me to throw up in your lap anytime tonight, you'll leave the music alone and find something else to complain about."

"Calm down?" Summer inquired, genuinely interested and not at all upset that he slightly insulted her. "Why do you have to calm down?"

"I don't know if you got the memo, but I've liked you since I was ten. And we're currently out on a date. So right now, I'm more nervous than I can ever remember being in my entire life. And that doesn't bode well for the spicy Thai food digesting itself in my intestines."

Summer fell further into the seat, feeling completely giddy and delirious. He was like a drug to her. An adorable, honest, witty, and sarcastic drug that she really liked and couldn't seem to get enough of.

"So where are we going?" Summer changed the subject. Even though he was being adorably cute saying those things to her, she still didn't want him staying nervous and, as he so nicely put it, "throwing up in her lap."

Seth seemed to perk up at this, straightening himself out in his seat. "Well, I was thinking of some bowling -"

"Bowling?" Summer laughed, interrupting him. "You're kidding, right?" She then saw the horrified look etch across his face and she struggled to find words to articulate herself better. "It's just… I'm in a skirt, Cohen. I can't bowl in a skirt."

Seth's nervous exterior melted as his mouth spread into a grin at Summer's explanation. "Yes, you can. In fact, I think I'll like it a whole lot better…"

"Ew, Cohen!" Summer slapped him in the arm playfully.

Seth winced, laughing. "You love it, Summer."

Summer smiled, trying to hide the guilty grin that was quickly finding itself permanently imprinted across her face whenever she was with him.

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"So I guess I _can_ bowl in a skirt," Summer laughed as Seth sulked back to the shoe counter to return their borrowed shoes.

Seth gave her a look before replying, "You cheated."

Summer threw a hand to her chest, gaping in response. "Me? Cheat?" Seth nodded over to her with his eyes wide. "I have never done such a thing!"

Seth let a 'psh' sound escape from his lips. "I don't believe that for a second."

"Hey," Summer pointed a finger at him, "I _asked_ for those answers to that Western Civ. quiz last week. It's not my fault I wasn't denied them."

"That's still cheating, Summer," Seth deadpanned.

Summer shrugged her shoulders, walking out the door Seth held open for her. "Well, whatevs. I won these games tonight fair and square."

"Right. Because you sauntering around and bending over right in front of me as I'm up to bowl isn't cheating," Seth scoffed. "You _knew_ that would throw off my concentration!"

"I _knew_ it wouldn't _hurt_ my chances of winning," Summer smiled coyly. "Besides, it was a technique. And maybe you could have at least won one round if you had gotten your mind out of the gutter."

"It wasn't my mind that was in the gutter all night. It was my ball."

Summer eyed him and Seth looked over to her after hearing no reply, obviously oblivious to the statement he just made. "Your ball, Cohen? You're thinking with your balls now?"

"I…," Seth realized his mistake, "Umm… you-you… I meant… my bowling ball not my-my… _fuck_…"

Summer laughed at Seth's misfortune, watching as he threw his head down against the steering wheel. She leaned over, rubbing on his arm comfortingly. "I know, Cohen. I was just teasing you."

Seth looked over to her meekly, smiling, "Guess you wanna go home now, huh?"

Summer leaned back. "What? That was it? A game of _bowling_? It's only 8:30!"

"So you don't want to go home then?" Seth sat up. "Enjoying my company too much to let the night end so soon?"

"Don't push it, Cohen," Summer crossed her arms under her chest.

Seth pulled out of the parking lot, glancing over at Summer. "Want some ice cream?"

"Ice cream?"

"Yeah, it's this cold, melting stuff that tastes really good and has -"

"I know what ice cream is."

Seth laughed. "I know. It was just my turn to tease you." Seth waited for a reply, but after not receiving one, took another look over to her. "So you want to get some ice cream?"

"I guess," Summer shrugged.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Summer…"

"Nothing," Summer snapped. "I mean it. I'm fine."

"Obviously." Seth snorted.

Summer glared at him and Seth wiped the smile off of his face, lifting his hands off the steering wheel for a moment to show his peace. "Sorry. Sorry. Not funny. Got it."

After a moment, Summer sighed. "I'm not stupid, Seth."

"I know…" Seth answered cautiously, not wanting to offend her in any way. The night had been such a great success so far and Seth didn't want to ruin it by upsetting Summer.

"I mean, I'm not stupid. I'm not the smartest person in the world but I'm not stupid either. I could do better in school if I wanted to. I just don't. It's boring."

"I never thought you were stupid," Seth spoke softly. Summer rolled her eyes and Seth took his right hand off of the steering wheel, letting it graze Summer's left knee. Summer looked down to his hand, watching as it guardedly squeezed her knee. "Hey, Summer, I mean it. I don't think you're stupid."

Summer's eyes lifted and met his. "I know I'm not as smart as Anna -"

Seth cut her off, "Don't compare yourself to Anna. Or anyone. You're your own person, Summer. And I love that."

Summer's heart did that flippy thing it had been doing lately whenever she was around him.

Seth continued, parking in an empty space down by the pier. "I think you're smart and beautiful and just simply amazing. And there's no one else I'd rather be with right now than you so I'm sorry if you thought my teasing you about ice cream was -"

It was Summer's turn to cut Seth off, reaching her hands down to Seth's hand that still rested on her knee. "Don't apologize. I just… I didn't want you to have this tainted perception of me. Like what others think of me. I'm not like that. I'm not who they like to say I am." Seth didn't know exactly what Summer was referring to so he kept quiet waiting for her to continue. "I'm not like _them_," Summer stated strongly, and Seth instantly knew the 'them' she was talking about was Holly and Luke and all of the other Newport Beach clones Seth despised, "And I really _do_ like you."

Seth gulped. He wasn't sure he heard her correctly. "You do?"

Summer laughed lightly, releasing her hands and undoing her seatbelt. "Come on," Summer opened her door to jump out; "I haven't had pistachio ice cream in _so long_."

"Pistachio?" Seth questioned, hopping out of the car himself, trying to recover from his shock she had put him in seconds earlier. She _liked_ him.

"Yeah," Summer smiled, walking towards the ice cream shop. "Why? You're not, like, allergic to peanuts, are you?"

"No…" Seth spoke slowly. "But why would it matter if I was? You're the one eating it."

Summer smiled sneakily to herself, "Just wondering." Summer walked next to him, her steps in time with his, towards the shop.

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After ordering their ice cream – Summer with pistachio and Seth with chocolate chip – Seth walked them both down towards the beach. Summer thought it was adorable (but then again, what _wasn't_ she finding adorable about Seth tonight?), but discovered her feet having a tough time trudging through the soft sand in her heels. After nearly dropping her ice cream a handful of times, Seth had bent down and ordered Summer to place her empty hand on his shoulder for balance and take the heels off of her feet. Summer was shocked to say the least – Seth Cohen ordering her around?? – but obliged, not wanting to go back up to the pier just yet.

Seth then shuffled around the sand in his Chuck Taylors, eating his chocolate chip ice cream cone with one hand and holding Summer's heels in the other.

Summer walked quietly next to him, listening to the sounds of the waves and their feet crushing in the sand. She wondered if he felt this way with Anna. If because they had more in common, he found himself having a better time with her. Summer tried to shoo these growing thoughts and concerns away in her mind, but with the silence that now surrounded them, she couldn't stop thinking about it. She wasn't just out with any ordinary guy. She was out with _the_ guy. The one all girls want but always seem to look over. That guy that cares so deeply and would never ever hurt you. That was Seth Cohen. And Summer couldn't remember ever wanting a guy as badly as she wanted him.

And usually, the fact that she wanted a guy would never bother her. Because she usually always would get him. Especially a guy like Seth Cohen. Pshh, back a year ago she could have had him any way she wanted. But now? Now there was _Anna_. And she complicated things. And she had the power to ruin this chance for Summer.

And not getting what she wanted? That was not something Summer was familiar with.

"Hey," Seth nudged Summer in the arm lightly with his elbow. "What're you thinking about?"

"Nothing really," Summer replied casually, but happily. "This has been a really good date, Cohen."

"Yeah," Seth smirked. "I'm glad you suggested it."

Summer playfully hit him in the chest, licking her ice cream cone. "Don't pretend you didn't want it too."

"Oh, I definitely wanted it," Seth nodded. "I'm not denying that."

"So you're denying something?" Summer bantered back. Seth merely nodded his head. "What are you denying?"

Seth stopped walking, standing in front of Summer. "We have chemistry, right? And not like, the class, I mean physical chemistry."

"Uh," Summer's smile faltered at the new serious state Seth took up, "I guess…"

"And you enjoy spending time with me, right?"

"Cohen…"

"Right, Summer?" Seth looked into her eyes hopefully.

"Yeah, I do," Summer gave in.

"Then I guess I'm denying that I'm just some geek that you're hanging out with cause there's no beach party happening this Saturday night and that you won't completely ignore come Monday when we're back at school," Seth shuffled back to Summer's side, keeping his eyes cast downward at the sand shuffling between his shoes.

"Cohen," Summer turned in towards him, pulling at his arm. "That's not what this is. I told you that."

"I'm not just some prize you're out to win, am I?" Seth peered down at her small frame.

"No," Summer whispered, ashamed of how badly she had treated him before. Before she ever got to know him. Before she ever gave him a _chance_. "Not at all. I _really_ like you. You're fun and funny and smart and kind of cute." Summer lifted her hands and pinched his cheeks playfully. "You're a really great guy, Seth."

Both Seth and Summer had finished their ice cream cones by now and Seth let his right arm swing around Summer's waist, pulling her into his body while his left hand still grasped onto her heels. Summer leaned into Seth's chest, listening to his steady breathing.

For a few moments they just walked like that and Summer wondered if to outsiders they looked like a couple. Not two people involved in a way-too-dramatic-even-for-high-school love triangle.

"I went out on a date with Anna last night," Seth spoke clearly into the cool California night air.

Summer pulled out of Seth's grasp, looking up at him in question. "Wha -"

"I'm only telling you because you deserve to know," Seth told Summer confidently. "And I'm not gonna talk about what we did or where we went or anything. I just wanted to let you know because you're not the only one I'm dating right now. And I don't want to hurt you."

Summer nodded, feeling her heart break almost as much as it did when she found out Seth had been making out with Anna in his room on Thanksgiving while he kept her in the pool house. Like he was ashamed of her or something. Like she wasn't good enough. Like he knew Anna was the type of girl guys should introduce to family while Summer was only a person to run to for some carefree, no strings-attached fun.

"Summer," Seth lifted her chin, "I've liked you since I was ten. And you make me extremely nervous and petrified and when I'm around you I feel like I'm doing everything wrong."

"You're not," Summer tried to reason but Seth continued, shaking his head.

"In complete and utter truthfulness, you're my dream, Summer. And right now, I'm just trying to figure out where the dream ends and the reality begins. Because, seriously, this whole night has been a dream of mine come true. And that's not bad, but it's not good either. Cause it just… I don't know… it's just really confusing. I'm confused."

Summer nodded, not knowing what to say nor even sure she understood what Seth was saying.

"Summer," Seth looked into her eyes, "you understand what I'm saying, right?"

"Yeah," Summer choked out, grinning lightly. Even though she wasn't understanding it all. If he was so into her, why the hell was he dating Pittsburgh and not just her? And what, precisely, was so confusing? He was on a date with her; she was on a date with him. This wasn't exactly rocket science that they were dealing with here.

"Good," Seth leaned down, leaving a quick kiss on her lips. "I just wanted you to know where I stand."

Summer nodded, trying to keep her wits about her, and bounced ideas off in her head for a different topic. She was tired of discussing serious things on their date. She was tired of thinking about Anna.

"Wanna sit down?" Summer gestured towards the sand.

"Sit down?" Seth scrunched up his face in confusion. "But you're in a skirt."

"That doesn't mean I can't sit down on the ground, Cohen," Summer remarked, bending down and then fell ceremoniously onto the soft sand. Seth followed her lead, sitting down Indian-style next to her.

"I love the beach," Summer told Seth quietly into the light wind surrounding them. "It's my favorite thing about Newport."

"Yeah, me too. I take my boat out a lot and just stay out on the water for the day," Seth commented. "I go through a lot of sunscreen that way. My Jewish skin isn't built for lots of glaring sunlight."

Summer laughed, letting her hands play in the soft sand in front of her. "You have a boat?"

"A catamaran."

"A what?" Summer eyed him in question.

"Not a yacht," Seth tried to clarify for her, knowing she was probably only familiar with two certain types of boats. "Or a speedboat."

Summer's mouth formed the shape of an egg, "Oh… then what is it?"

"It's just two hulls joined together by a frame with a sail. And about nine feet long, five feet wide," Seth gestured with his hands.

"Hulls?" Summer questioned, shaking her head.

Seth sighed, chuckling, "Kind of like a windsurfer. Only with two surf boards attached instead of one."

"Ah, I get it," Summer smiled, leaning over to bump her side against Seth's.

"Yeah…" Seth leaned into her. Seth turned his face towards hers and began leaning down, hoping to capture his lips with hers.

But apparently Summer still wanted to talk.

"So," Summer pulled away, returning her hands to the sand. "Does it have a name?"

"Yeah…" Seth trailed, feeling his palms sweat.

Summer continued, oblivious to the nervous state Seth had just taken up. "Like 'Wind Dancer' or 'Free Spirit' or… ooh! 'Wet Dream,' perhaps?"

Seth peered over to her smiling eyes, laughing along with her at her last idea for a boat's name. "Yeah, something like that."

They gazed at each other for a few moments after that, letting their laughter die down and the silence engulf them. Soon, Summer brought her attention back towards the ocean and its crashing waves, feeling the cool breeze come in contact with her skin.

Seth saw the goose bumps growing on Summer's arms and he reached over, lightly touching her shoulder. "Hey, come here."

"Where?" Summer motioned around her. "If I move any closer to you I'll be in your lap."

"That was my point," Seth stated, causing a slap to his arm from Summer. "Ow! What was that for?"

"I'm not gonna sit in your lap, jackass," Summer groaned at him, staring out to the ocean.

"No, no," Seth tried to save the moment. "I meant, I was just gonna rub your arms. You look cold and I don't have a jacket to offer you." Summer turned her head towards him, eyeing him suspiciously. "I swear, Summer. You don't even have to sit in my lap. You can just sit in front of me or something. I just don't want you to catch a cold."

"It's California," Summer muttered, letting a small smile play on her lips as a result of Seth's annoyingly cute ramble. "I'm not gonna catch a cold."

Seth saw the grin growing on her face and leaned towards her, reaching for her waist. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," Summer smiled, reveling in the feeling of Seth's fingertips grazing the skin her tank top was allowing to be revealed.

"Well then," Seth lifted Summer up as she cried out in laughter and set her sideways on his lap, "In that case…"

Seth began tickling her sides and Summer tried to protest – albeit not strongly – wriggling under his grasp. Seth beamed down at her, enjoying watching her squirm below him. Summer's smile revealed her perfect white teeth and moist lips while her eyes squinted up at Seth in delight.

Seth knew that everything with Anna made more sense. But with Summer, everything felt more _right_.

Seth leaned down, halting his fingers on her sides, letting his breath mix with hers. Summer's smile died down but didn't completely leave her face as Seth's lips moved closer and closer to hers until they finally connected.

Summer pulled one of her hands up and around Seth's neck, bringing him further into her mouth. She played with the curls on the back of his head, twirling them in between her fingertips as her other hand reached up to feel the skin on Seth's face. Seth's hands moved up and down her arms – just as they had been itching to do earlier – and he let his lips work Summer's. Soon he was biting lightly on her bottom lip and Summer elicited a small groan as she opened her mouth, letting Seth's tongue delve in to battle with hers.

Seth Cohen was something else, Summer thought to herself as feelings of pure pleasure rushed through her veins. He was amazing in that completely unexpected way. Summer tried not think of Seth kissing Anna this way, or Anna feeling the way Summer currently did as Seth kissed her. She wanted this to be real. She wanted Seth to feel the same way she felt about him and no one else. She wanted this to be only shared between them. Not them and someone else.

Summer revered her thoughts, desperately trying not to think of Anna again anytime tonight, and pulled back from Seth's swollen lips. "See?" Summer whispered to Seth. "It's a good thing you're not allergic to pistachios."

It took Seth a moment to realize what Summer was alluding to and when he did, he grinned broadly, gazing back down at the beauty that lay rested in his lap. "Yeah…" Seth grabbed a hold of her hand that was stilled on his cheek, squeezing it and then leaning down to kiss her lips once again. "_Very_ good thing."

Things with Summer may be complicated and not at all perfect – and maybe being with Anna made tons more sense -, Seth thought to himself as Summer's strawberry lip gloss found its way onto his taste buds, but right now he didn't want this moment with anyone else in any other way.

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**A/N: I was gonna write this so Seth realized Summer was really the person for him, not Anna, but then that wouldn't have gone along with the entire storyline that was actually created and played out on TV. Just wanted to throw that out there.**

**Review please to let me know what you thought of my first attempt of S1 SS! (And another chapter of "Corresponding Shapes" should be up in a few days… hopefully.)**


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